See the sights of the annual cultural event before this year’s edition.
The Santa Fe Indian Market has been a staple of summertime destination travel in the West for 96 years. Organized by the nonprofit Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, it is the largest Native art show and festival in the world and one of the most significant cultural events of any kind.
Showcasing the work of more than 1,100 Native artists, the market attracts up to 150,000 visitors to Santa Fe’s historic plaza each year. It gives shoppers a plethora of opportunities to purchase authentic jewelry, art, and clothing directly from indigenous artists representing more than 200 federally recognized tribes from the United States and Canada.
More important than offering beautiful handmade treasures, the market allows shoppers the opportunity to speak with the artisans whose works they’re buying. And the shopping follows several days of screenings, performances, art shows, and fashion shows dubbed Indian Market Week.
It closes out with a Best of Show ceremony, at which the most acclaimed and important awards in the Native arts world are announced. More than $100,000 in prize money is given to winners selected from hundreds of submissions.
Check out some sights from last year’s Santa Fe Indian Market and consider attending this year’s market August 19 and 20.
For more information on the Santa Fe Indian Market, visit the event’s website.
From the August/September 2017 issue.